George and Amal Clooney Pledge $1 Million to ‘Stand Up to Hate’

The violent white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month have inspired The Clooney Foundation for Justice to grant $1 million to the Southern Poverty Law Center to combat hate groups in the United States.

“We are proud to support the Southern Poverty Law Center in its efforts to prevent violent extremism in the United States. What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate,” George and Amal Clooney said in a statement Tuesday.

The Oscar-winning actor and his international human rights attorney wife launched their foundation in 2016 to advance justice in courtrooms, classrooms and communities around the world. They both serve as presidents.

“Like George and Amal Clooney, we were shocked by the size, ugliness, and ferocity of the white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville,” SPLC president Richard Cohen said. “It was a reflection of just how much Trump’s incendiary campaign and presidency has energized the radical right. We are deeply grateful to the Clooney Foundation for standing with us at this critical moment in our country’s fight against hate.”

The SPLC is a non-profit group that tracks more than 1,600 extremist groups in the United States.

Earlier this month, a group of white supremacists and neo-Nazis gathered in Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee at the University of Virginia. The presence of counter-protesters spurred more gatherings throughout the weekend. On Saturday, Aug. 12, a “Unite the Right” rally participant drove his car into a crowd of counter protesters, killing Heather Heyer, 32, and injuring several more.

“Wow. You know it’s bad when people in Chicago are going like, ‘Man what a violent weekend.’”

–Trevor Noah, on protesters taking over a Trump in Chicago.

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“I think that man will be president right about the time when spaceships come down filled with dinosaurs in red capes.”

–Tom Hanks

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“No one living in this century should stand behind so much ignorance.”

–Shakira

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“Stop the bullshit. Stop fueling fires of hate.”

–Russell Simmons

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“It’s a nightmare. That’s my quote.”

–Rosie O’Donnell, on Trumps’s Campaign

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“The fact that an individual like Donald Trump, a candidate for the presidency of the United States for the Republican party, has the audacity to continue to gratuitously harass the Latin community makes my blood boil.”

“You’re just such an egomaniacal attention-thirsty psychopathic power-hungry delusional waste of skin and bones that you’ll do, say or allow anything if it means you’ll just get one more minute in the limelight.”